How to persuade web visitors to give you their email address

These days’ people are pretty savvy when it comes to their personal data. They won’t tell you who they are unless you are able to offer them something in exchange.

One of the best methods is to invite unknown visitors to download an in-depth E-book, sector report or piece of industry research that’s of interest to them.

The one proviso – keep it generic to maintain your integrity as a trusted expert. If you attempt to bring your products into the conversation at this stage, the reader will dismiss everything you say as marketing puff.

Here are a just a few download ideas:

Buyers’ Guide: A buyers’ guide is an excellent tool because it not only allows you to position yourself as the trusted expert, it also gives your sales team an immediate sales opportunity signal. The majority of people that download this type of content are researching a purchase in the near or not too distant future.

One of the best ways to persuade your prospects to give you their contact information is to invite unknown visitors to download an in-depth E-book, sector report or piece of industry research that’s of interest to them. ”

Original Research: A report offering analysis and the interpretation of original research you have commissioned is a very powerful tool in establishing your company as a thought-leader within the sector. Not only is it an excellent brand propellant, treated in the right way it has the potential to deliver significant PR coverage. This will help to secure the perception of your company as a market leader in your space – giving greater credibility to future content.

Secondary Research: This is an amalgamation of publicly available research, commissioned by other companies, and consolidated into a single report. It’s often interesting to pull together related statistics from 3rd parties to take a broader look at the sector as a whole. It is also quite interesting to discuss any anomalies or discrepancies and offer your own opinion and advice without the expense of having commissioned the original research.

Showcase: Depending on the type of product or service you offer you may want to showcase and inspire your customers with some of your best work in a series of visual case studies. By pulling together the very best of what you have to offer, with a short written description explaining your work and a testimonial from the client, you will inspire potential customers and give them the reassurance that you’re the one for the job.